Data-storage devices using various kinds of media, such as optical disks and magnetic tapes, are known in the art. In particular, hard disk drives (HDDs) have been widely used as data-storage devices for contemporary computer systems. Moreover, HDDs have found widespread application to motion picture recording and reproducing apparatuses, car navigation systems, cellular phones, and similar devices relying on data storage, in addition to the computers, because of their outstanding information-storage characteristics.
Magnetic-recording disks used in HDDs include multiple concentric data tracks and servo tracks disposed discretely in the circumferential direction of the magnetic-recording disk. User data is recorded in units of data sectors; and, a data sector is recorded between servo sectors. A rotary actuator moves a head-slider in proximity with the recording surface of a spinning magnetic-recording disk. A magnetic-recording head of the head-slider accesses a designated data sector in accordance with position information indicated by servo data to write data to the data sector, or alternatively, to read data from the data sector.
A head-slider includes the magnetic-recording head, which is affixed to a slider of the head-slider. The head-slider is secured to the rotary actuator. The slider flies in proximity to the recording surface of the spinning magnetic-recording disk; and, the actuator positions the head-slider, which includes the magnetic-recording head, at a designated radial position on the magnetic-recording disk. In reading data, the signal read back from the magnetic-recording disk by the magnetic-recording head undergoes predetermined signal processing such as waveform shaping and decoding with a signal processing circuit; and, the read-back signal is then transmitted to a host. Also, data transferred from the host undergo predetermined processes by the signal processing circuit to produce a write signal; and, the write signal is then written to the magnetic-recording disk.
Engineers and scientists engaged in HDD manufacturing and development are interested in the methods and systems for reading data from, and writing data to, the magnetic-recording disk of the HDD that meet the rising demands of the marketplace for increased data-storage capacity, performance, and reliability.